Last month we sent 3 puppies to their new homes. Little Amelia stayed here with us, and having a new baby in the house can be a big adjustment – especially if you work full time. Obviously, potty training is at the top of everyone’s list and for more advice on that, take a look at these posts: Potty Training – The short VersionandTo Pee or Not To Pee

That being said, one of the most important things is to maintain a schedule because it will make things easier for you and for the baby. It also gets your puppy adjusted to the family and any other animals you might have in the house. New pups need structure which lets them know where their place is in “the pack”, and also what is expected of them on a daily basis. Take a look at this article, it even has a sample schedule at the end which you can adjust to fit your lifestyle.

As we begin another year, it’s normal to look back on what has been. Cedarcroft started the year with some awesome wins in Canada for Rose and we are hoping to finish that championship in 2018 with her final 3 points. Our sweet boy Ruger found a new home (and new name- Winston) with Mina and Dirk and he couldn’t be happier. That was the Good. The summer and fall were cursed with diarrhea and illness of Elektra and Hermione – the Bad. Sadly Hermione lost her battle with this unknown illness on December 6th and we miss her so much – the Ugly.

We try to find the good in everything when possible. Hermione’s illness helped us to actually diagnose Elektra who is doing awesome because of that. We also have a new addition – little Amelia. She is our light at a dark time. Full of sass and play. Here’s hoping this will be a harbinger of a wonderful 2018. We wish you and your families the best year yet!

Kudos to Enumclaw High School for supporting a “Student Puppy Sitters” program! These amazing students help those wonderful people who raise and train dogs for many national service dog programs. But who helps them when they need a break? Enter the student puppy sitters. Not only does it provide respite for the dog training families during the school year, but it adds an extra dimension of socialization and training for those puppies and invaluable experiences for the teens involved in the program. Read all about our Washington and other programs here.

Most of the time if there’s a behavior problem, you can pretty much guarantee that we humans are the reason. Dogs aren’t born inherently bad, mischievous and curious yes, but not really bad. In our house, this little cutie to the left is quite the sassy girl. Cedar tends to be vocal and when asked a question she always has an opinion. I started when she was very young, asking her at morning feedings if she was hungry. Of course she barked a reply. Because it was not discouraged, she sasses me constantly at feeding times if I’m not getting the bowls ready fast enough. That’s on me and, at the tender age of almost 11, I would be hard put to discourage that behavior now. Sadly it has become part of our meal time ritual and I will miss it desperately when she is no longer with us. That’s a minor misbehavior and is only really annoying if someone is trying to talk to me or I’m trying to listen to something on the TV. However, there are other behaviors much less tolerated in our house and these need to be nipped in the bud if your dog exhibits them. Here’s a great list of 5 bad behaviors that you can make sure not to instill in your pet and how to curb them if it’s too late.

You’ve heard the sayings:
“A dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s.”
“Dog saliva heals wounds”
Well these do have some truth, but dogs and humans have different kinds of bacteria in their mouths and some are the same. Dogs have about 600 different bacteria in their mouths while we humans have around 615. When it comes to disease, it is less risky to get kissed by your dog than a human when it comes to transferring illness. The only exception is, a dog that eats a raw diet can transmit salmonella to their human if it is present. If you want to know everything there is to know about licking, and dog saliva, take a look at this article and don’t skimp on the brushing. Cripes now I want to go brush my teeth and theirs.

I rotate my shampoo use to keep build up down, so I have several different kinds – most of them good quality salon types. When I was grooming for a show this last week, I looked at the shelf above the deep sink and, low and behold, the dogs have almost as many as I do. What’s up with that you say? Why not save money and use yours? That’s a great big DON’T by the way. Did you know dogs not only have fewer skin layers than we do – 3-5 as opposed to 10-15 – but their skin Ph is higher than ours – more neutral – so using your shampoo on them would really mess up the acid mantle among other things. Here’sa really good article about the whys and wherefores if you want to research it, but basically, use the dog shampoo on the dog and protect their sensitive skin.

If you live in one of the dozen western states that is home to the Water Hemlock, please keep your dogs away. A simple nature walk can turn deadly in a second if your pet ingests this plant. The tiny white flowers bloom in June and July, depending on elevation. The tubers are the most poisonous but the leaves and stems can be lethal as well. The plant has a strong carrot like smell which may be attractive to your dog. A dog poisoned with water hemlock will present with nervousness and pupil dilatation. This will progress to twitching, drooling, convulsions and seizures. Even if a tiny amount is eaten and the dog survives the toxic effects, they are often left with permanent heart or skeletal muscle damage. If you suspect your pet has eaten even just a small amount, induce vomiting immediately and get them to a vet. Moral of this story, keep an eye on your surroundings when you take those walks.